If you've read any of my previous blog posts, you know that I have a very "special" place in my heart for Pick Up Artists. Lucky for those of you who have followed these blogs, I have a new favourite PUA on my radar.
If you're not familiar with the work of Roosh V, allow me to introduce him. An American citizen of Armenian and Iranian decent, Daryush Valizadeh has an online blog, website, and several self-published guides teaching the esteemed art of picking up women. But unlike some of his peers, Roosh V's perspectives have not just been hailed as "misogynistic"; they're actively considered to be hate mongering. If you'd like to see some of his work first hand, you may find it here.
Like the Kevin Spacey to his Brad Pitt, I admire Roosh V's commitment to absolute ignorance and stupidity. It takes a "special" kind of man to be able to characterize and demean women while also profiting from the sadness of other men, but it takes a very "special" kind of man to go one, big step further.
In February of 2015, Roosh V proposed the decriminalization of rape on private property. His theory was rooted in the assertion that women would take better precautions and, "protect her body in the same manner that she protects her purse and smartphone." As a result, Roosh V claims that, "After several months of advertising this law throughout the land, rape would be virtually eliminated on the first day it is applied."
The woman in me was infuriated. The journalist in me was ecstatic.
It is without further delay, dearest readers, that I present to you my open letter to the up and coming pick up artist, Roosh V:
Dear Roosh V,
I'd like to start a dialogue with you, if I may. I find you to be very interesting.
Allow me to introduce myself: I am a Canadian writer and blogger, the majority of my content veering on what may be called "feminist." From my name and photo, you may be able to glean that I am a woman.
I have done extensive research about you and your work, and I have to say, I've never seen anything like you. Most PUAs sort of beat around the bush (no pun intended), but you really cut to the chase, don't you? I mean, at least the others pretend to like women. You actively show your hatred and disdain for the fairer sex in ways that would make any self-respecting person cringe. That, good sir, is a feat.
As I was watching your videos and reading your material, I kept asking myself what has to happen to a person in their life to become someone like you. You must have been through a lot of awful things in order to see other human beings the way you do. It is, however, not my business what sort of pain creates such behaviors in you. As a woman, it is my business what you are doing with it now.
I actually have a few pointers for you, Roosh. They might seem very pedestrian and "feminine" to you, but if you take them seriously, they may just enrich your life one day.
First and foremost, I want you to know that generalizations are silly, Roosh. Saying that American women are a certain way sexually and emotionally is like saying that men of Iranian decent are misogynistic pricks. Although you're not giving a great case against the previous statement, I know for a fact that there are Iranian men who are wonderful and respectful to women. Perhaps you should meet them. (But only briefly. They really wouldn't want to be around someone like you for long. No hard feelings, of course.)
Next, I think you should know that the term "slut" is fairly archaic. If you don't believe me, please read the Internet. Look on any real website (not yours, obviously) and you will see that there are governments all over the world that are putting their efforts into eliminating things like "slut shaming" and "revenge porn." There are laws now, Roosh. They are made by powerful, important men and women who are appalled at the way women are treated by men like you. Although you can't put a ban on words, you may find that a lot of powerful people have such an aversion to that word that they are flagging individuals who use such terms in their literature. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be flagged and monitored by any government for hate mongering, would you, Roosh?
And speaking of laws, Roosh, no one with a brain thinks that decriminalizing rape is a good idea. In fact, you may find that the vast percentage of the population, both men and women, prefer consensual sex to non-consensual sex. The percentage of people revolted by this crime is so high that this is one of the main reasons why rape will always be considered a crime. If you're really paying attention, I think you'll find that this crime has never been taken more seriously on a global scale as it is now. Sadly, this point is simply a case of you being HIGHLY outnumbered in your thinking.
With all of these pointers in mind, I would now like to do something interesting. I would like to propose a challenge to you, Roosh. Do you believe that women, on a scientific level, are inferior to men? Do you sincerely believe that you can generalize their habits and perspectives to perfection? Then prove it to me. Hell, prove it to ALL of us.
We don't just want to see your YouTube videos, Roosh. We want evidence from scientists that aren't gender biased, including genetic samples, brain scans, and tissue samples that prove without a shadow of a doubt that women are less valuable than men and only capable of traditional "feminine" tasks. We want massive polls and censuses into the habits and ideals of the American (and international) woman, showing that every single woman out there can be categorically sorted according to your theories. We want reference materials, stacks of reputable, unbiased non-fiction sources, citing that all women are meant to be obedient, modest beings that don't also contain the word "God" in them.
So, Roosh, are you up to it? To be completely honest, I don't expect you to even think about answering to this challenge. The surface of you will laugh at me, maybe make a video about "those crazy feminists" and protest that you are too busy and too important to step up to such an arduous task. But the face behind the mask is undeniable, and we all know (including that pain ridden part inside of you) that you won't accept the challenge for one simple reason: you can't. There is no evidence. You're only an opinion, and thankfully, you are an opinion that is quickly going out of style.
Thank you for your words, dear Roosh. Without people like you, the men and women of the world wouldn't know how much better they were capable of.
All the best,
Lauren
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